Tandem/LEJOG

[tomb1960]

Various elements of my family got together the other week-end to celebrate my father's 76th birthday. This meant that I got a rare opportunity to talk to my step-brother who lives in Australia. It turned out that cycling from LEJOG is on both our 'bucket lists'. On learning this the conversation took a darker turn and before I knew it step-bro and I had shaken on an agreement to attempt same in 2010, even more unfortunately this event was captured on camera. We kicked about various ideas and one of which was whether to do the ride on a tandem. What say you fellow forum-eers? Is it madness? I am a reasonably fit (in the cardiovascular sense) cyclist, my step-brother intends to become so. Given that we will have almost no opportunities to train together on a tandem might we be better letting discretion overcome valour? I am interested to hear your views.

 

[Tim Bennet.]

It all depends on your time scale. If you have no time constraints then doing it tanden can be a fun way of getting to know each other. There will be plenty of time off the bike to relax and have 'your own space' if necessary.

The shorter the time you have to do it, the less I would recommend a tandem: Not only do you have to be completely 'compatible' but it is far more wearing on the body than a solo bike as each rider has less choice about free wheeling, stretching, altering cadence and most importantly, moving the bike around under them to ease pressure on their arse.

I was always curious why the tandem record for LEJOG is so much slower than the solo time. The answer is an accumulation of all the above taken to extremes. I asked Gethin Butler if he had any ambitions on that record as well. His reply was "Hell no! I'm not a f**k*ng masochist!" which is odd, as everyone assumed he was. But apparently there are limits and long trips with high milage days on a tandem crosses that boundary.

 

[Soltydog]

Another thing to consider with a tandem is getting to/from the start & finish points. A lot of trains can't accomodate a tandem so that may cause problems, although i did see a couple at Driffield station last week with a tandem that the front half detached (possibly a Thorn) that was okay for the train